On Wednesday morning, at an extraordinary session, the Ukrainian government suspended the Minister of Justice Herman Halushchenko. Prime Minister Julija Svyrydenková announced on social networks. This is part of a large-scale anti-corruption investigation in the energy sector, which Halushchenko has led since 2021 as Minister of Energy. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the Reuters and Ukrinform agencies.
“An extraordinary meeting of the government was held this morning. The decision was made to suspend Herman Halushchenko from the position of Minister of Justice,Svyrydenková wrote on the social network X. The Cabinet entrusted Deputy Minister for European Integration Ľudmila Suhaková with the performance of his duties.
In response, Halushchenko wrote on the X social network that he fully agrees with the government’s decision. According to him, a political decision must be made first and the details dealt with later. “I am not holding on to the position of minister. I believe suspension while an investigation is a civilized and correct scenario,” he wrote, adding that he plans to defend himself against the allegations.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed on Tuesday that as part of the anti-corruption crackdown in the energy sector, Halushchenko is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in cooperation with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP). His residence was also raided. Both authorities are investigating suspicions of paying bribes during the construction of protective equipment around energy facilities in Ukraine against drone and missile attacks.
Investigators discovered that members of the criminal organization had built an extensive network to influence strategic state enterprises, including the state nuclear company Enerhoatom. According to a Reuters source, Halushchenko’s voice was also recorded during a conversation with one of the suspects.
NABU reported on Tuesday that there are five detainees and seven suspects in the case. Clues also lead to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s confidant and business partner from the days of his acting and producing career, Timur Mindič. As the main suspect, he allegedly influenced state decisions “in the energy and defense sectors” in his favor. Ukrainian media reported that Mindič left the territory of Ukraine only a few hours before the raids.
